Avionics display systems have been deployed aboard aircraft to visually convey a considerable amount of flight information in an intuitive and readily comprehendible manner. In conventional avionics display systems, much of the information is visually expressed on cockpit displays, such as an Interactive Navigation (INAV) or a multipurpose control display unit (MCDU). A pilot may use either INAV or MCDU to select an approach/departure course (e.g. flight course) comprised of terminal area procedures such as runway, approach, approach transition, standard terminal arrival route (STAR), and STAR transition. Each terminal area procedure is individually and textually selected, without the benefit of a visual or graphical representation. Thus, the pilot may be unaware of the terrain and traffic information associated with the flight course.
To avoid this problem the pilot may do one of two things. The pilot may refer to flight charts to visualize the procedure being selected. However, this increases the pilot's workload during a critical descent phase of the flight. Alternatively, the pilot may select the terminal area procedures and enter it into the temporary flight plan to obtain a graphical representation of the flight course. However, this process requires the pilot to select, visualize, and modify the flight course until the temporary flight plan meets the pilot's requirements. This process again increases the pilot's workload during a critical descent phase of the flight. In addition, if the pilot utilizes the INAV screen to select the procedure, a selection dialog box will prevent the pilot from visualizing what is under the dialog box (e.g. weather, terrain, traffic, ADS-B IN information, etc.). In fact, the dialog box may cover-up as much as 25% of the INAV screen including a significant amount of the displayed information.
Although such systems represent improvements in avionics technology, further enhancements to cockpit displays to make them more intuitive and easier to use may be desirable.